Kid Rock Tells Campaign Watchdog Group to ‘Go F— Yourselves’

With Kid Rock considering a 2018 bid for the U.S. Senate from Michigan, he’s come under scrutiny from a watchdog group who think he may have violated a campaign finance law. Kid Rock, whose real name is Robert Ritchie, has told them to mind their own business, albeit not in those words.

As found by Entertainment Weekly, Kid Rock wrote on his website, “I am starting to see reports from the misinformed press and the fake news on how I am in violation of breaking campaign law. #1 I have still not officially announced my candidacy. #2 See #1 and go f— yourselves.”

Yesterday (Sept. 1), Common Cause, a Washington, D.C.-based “ nonpartisan grassroots organization dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy,” filed a complaint with the Department of Justice. They say that, even that he hasn’t declared his candidacy, the fact that he has a “Kid Rock for Senate” website and is selling merchandise — and promoting it on social media —means that he is, essentially, a candidate.

The Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) defines a candidate as “an individual who seeks nomination for election, or election, to Federal office” and “has received contributions aggregating in excess of $5,000 or has made expenditures aggregating in excess on $5,000.” Common Cause has asked the Department of Justice to investigate whether or not he has violated “candidate registration and reporting requirements, contribution limits and restrictions, and ‘soft money’ prohibitions.” They have named his label, Warner Bros., in the complaint in case they may have “facilitated the making of contributions to, and acted as a conduit for contributions earmarked to,” Kid Rock.

Rock’s name was first floated as a potential candidate for the U.S. Senate back in February. If he decides to run, he would be seeking the Republican nomination to unseat three-term incumbent Debbie Stabenow.